


The Love We Hide

by celestial_author



Series: This Is Home [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, M/M, Prologue, Supernatural Elements, background Adashi, hinted - Freeform, klance, klangst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-07-18 03:23:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16109750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestial_author/pseuds/celestial_author
Summary: Emotions shift and change through the years.  Sometimes they wither out, sometime they twist into something entirely knew.But sometimes they grow.Painfully so...





	1. We Didn't Know We Had A Year

“What do you think?” 

That was a very dangerous question that had just been thrown Keith’s way.  It was a question that would remain on his mind for the rest of their Senior year of High School and into their first year at Uni.  It was innocent, Keith thought, but it didn’t stop the complicated responses that began to clog his throat, all of them right on the tip of his tongue, threatening to spill out.  But he held it in, too busy staring at his best friend as he obsessed over his hair for the third time that night. His hair had been straightened for the occasion, hairspray being the only thing stopping his hair from curling up again.  He was wearing a well fitted button up shirt, a blue that reminded him much of the sky when it wasn’t so cloudy. His navy blue dress pants hugged his hips nicely, accentuating the curve of his body and ending perfectly at his ankles, his dress shoes black.  Lance had been excited about his formal clothing, especially since he was able to find something that didn’t look awkward on him due to his height. Keith couldn’t hold back the smile that tugged at his lips, watching him sigh in relief when his hair finally did what he wanted.  

“You look good.” Keith lamely went with.  He had wanted to say more, be more honest because…  Lance looked more than good. He looked straight up gorgeous.  But fear stopped him from saying so, from saying a lot more that night.  He didn’t want to ruin what they had, didn’t want to chase yet another person out of his life just because he wanted to be a little bit selfish.  He was content where they were in their relationship, and he was reminded of that when Lance turned to look at him, clearly nervous but still smiling brightly.  

“Really?  I’m glad you think so.  Wasn’t sure if I would…” Lance mumbled, looking back at the mirror, checking to make sure nothing was wrong.  Keith found nothing as he gave Lance another once over. 

“Blue is good color on you.” He reminded, but he wasn’t talking about his clothes.  The stormy ocean that he had come to love, stared back at him, Keith more than happy to let himself drown in them for a minute.

“Thank you.” Lance mumbled, ducking his head to escape their eye-contact, clearly embarrassed.  Keith smiled, almost sadly but quickly shoved any negative feelings away. Tonight was supposed to be fun, and a night to remember.  Or at least that was what all of the flyers around their school had said. Which reminded him. 

“So, I don’t exactly know how this goes normally, so I got us these.  I guess you’re suppose to get matching flowers or something when you go with someone to Prom?  I don’t know.” He grumbled, shrugging his shoulders. Keith knew exactly what he was talking about, had asked Shiro about almost everything that had to do with Prom.  It was called Corsages if Keith remembered correctly. But they weren’t exactly going in the most traditional way as many do, so Keith didn’t go that far into it. He simply got two flowers that they could clip anywhere they chose would be most comfortable.  

“Keith…” Lance said softly, staring at the two flowers for a moment.  The smile that came after made all the embarrassment that Keith had went through with talking to Shiro all the more worth it.  Keith noticed the way Lance’s cheeks seem to darken, the well in his eyes, but he didn’t think much on it, simply knowing that Lance just appreciated Keith being there in the first place.  Especially after what he went through at the beginning of the year with his last relationship. He didn’t think too much into it though, not really finding now the most appropriate time to get angry.  

“I mean, if it’s too much we can just-” Keith’s eyes widened as Lance scrambled closer to him, shouting to cut him off.

“No!  No… They’re perfect.  Sorry.” He laughed, standing so close that Keith could smell more of the “Beach” scented lotion Lance always used.  He swallowed hard and just hoped Lance wouldn’t be able to hear the way his heart beated. He held the blue flower out for him to take, wondering where Lance would place it.  He would have never guessed the right answer.

Lance plucked the blue flower from his hand, his fingers carefully petting the petals into place as if they were real.  He hummed as fumbled with the clip, opening it before gently taking Keith’s tie into his other hand, surprising him. With more focus Keith thought necessary, Lance clipped the flower towards the middle of his tie, patting his chest a bit to smooth the invisible crinkles in it.  Keith fought the urge to kiss him then. He was so pleasantly surprised on how the blue flower looked on himself, he barely managed to notice when Lance took the red one. He watched him debate over where he was going to place it before tucking it into his ear, fiddling with his hair for a moment before clipping it in a place where it wouldn’t slip off.  He looked hesitant, almost as if he was afraid of the flower falling out. Keith, even as he mentally yelled in refusal, reached over and fixed a few strands that strayed out of place. 

“You look good.” He lamely repeated, but it was enough for Lance.  It was enough to make him relax, enough to look confident again. 

“You do too.” That had threw Keith off for a moment.  He hadn’t really expected a compliment for his appearance, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t hoping.  He was wearing almost the exact same thing as Lance. The only difference were the colors save the shoes.  Where Lance wore a nice sky blue shirt, Keith went with a darker red and where he wore navy blue, Keith wore black.  But their shoes were the same, and Keith had also decided to bring along his jacket, not knowing if the weather cast was actually accurate for the day.  He had also went the extra mile and wore a tie, which was a miracle it was still in one piece when Keith was ready to chuck it into a fire a few hours ago.  He cleared his throat, feeling the complicated words crawl up his throat once more.

“Thanks.  Are you ready to head over?” He asked, throwing a thumb over his shoulder.

“Yeah.  Let me just grab my phone and wallet.” 

That night really was something Keith wouldn’t forget.

* * *

It was here, where he started falling for Lance.  He thought about it as he let himself sink into the booth seat near the back, dropping his heavy backpack that held the reminder of his upcoming final tests besides him.  The diner meant a lot of things to Keith, weaving its way through his life. 

It was a small diner called the Baku Diner and it was popular in a way that only a selected few knew about it and they all silently agreed to keep it that way.  The staff there were pleasant, and Keith had to admit that he did enjoy some of the conversations he had with some of them. The location though was a bit out of the way.  It was just outside Altea’s main campus, surrounded by a quiet neighborhood so it wasn’t surprising when he saw a handful of college students studying or an occasional elder sitting in one of the booths.  As far as he knew, only he and his friends were the only ones from his high school to come here.

Normally, if he didn’t have any connections, he wouldn't go through the trouble of getting here.  But the diner had sentimental value. It was the diner his father used to take him to when he was younger, and it was one that he would sneak to whenever he had gotten the chance to escape from his multiple foster families.  

But it was also where he had first met Lance.  

He hated to admit that he hadn’t made the greatest first impression, especially since the first time they met, he started a fight.  He couldn’t even remember why they argued, but he knew it was for some stupid reason and it was because he thought everybody was out to get him and he had just lost his dad.  After that, they ended meeting again in middle school and they were not even remotely friends. It was always a competition between the two of them. Lance had initially started it, challenging him during gym, during a shared class, even during lunch time.  The wild thing was, Keith challenged him back, always looked forward to their competitions, and always enjoyed it when they went at it. But to him, they weren’t friends still. 

It had been like that until the last year of middle school when Keith found Lance in his usual spot at the diner.  He had been annoyed that day, and was ready to completely ignore him while reluctantly sitting at a different booth.  But at a closer look, he saw that Lance was crying, slowly crumbling into his sleeves to try and hide away from the world.  He didn’t know what pushed him to sit across from Lance, but he was glad that he did. Thinking about it now, it was probably something that Shiro had said. 

Lance initially ignored Keith when he had sat across from him, Keith chalking it up to not hearing or seeing him.  He waited with patience he didn’t even know he had, quietly ordering from the waitress he came to know as Luxia before turning back to Lance.  He ordered fries and shakes for the both of them, hoping that the sound of that would pull Lance from his crying. But it didn’t, and when Lance did finally speak, it confused him.

“Are you here to make fun of me too?” He spat angrily, but it didn’t feel like the anger was completely aimed at him.

“Nothing to make fun of.” He mumbled bluntly, frowning a bit.  Bullying… Something Keith had dealt with and hated. 

“Apparently there is!” Lance snapped, and if Keith could see his face, he was sure more tears were pouring out.  

The waitress came back, terrible timing really, and awkwardly placed their food and drinks down.  Before she could voice any of her concerns, Keith stood up, waving her away before taking a seat next to Lance, silently apologizing for being rude.  He was glad Luxia seemed to take the hint when she walked away. The problem he had now was that he had absolutely no idea how to comfort someone, especially not Lance.  Shiro he could help, on occasion he helped his other foster siblings, but when it came to Lance, it was a bit more complicated. They weren’t friends, and Lance didn’t like him.  But… He  _ wanted _ to help Lance.  He  _ wanted _ to be friends.  Because out of everyone at his school, he was the only one that had treated him like any other kid.  Everyone else seemed to either avoid him, ignore him, or tried to fight him. But Lance treated him like any other kid, challenging him to stupid things like he did with his other friends, teased him in a way that wasn’t out of malice, and made an effort to interact with him at least once a day.  He also didn’t like that out of everyone, Lance had been targeted by bullies. It didn’t sit well with him. So… he did his best. 

He grabbed napkins from the dispenser and gently pulled Lance’s hands out of his hair, patting his hair down before gently dabbing at his cheeks the way his dad had done for him when he was younger.  Lance’s cheeks and nose were blotchy from crying, but being this close showed Keith the freckles that scattered across his face. It was cute. He continued cleaning him up, offering the napkins for Lance to blow his nose, making a face when Lance balled it up and threw it on the table.  He then sat back, slipping his hand into Lance’s before picking up a fry and popping it into his mouth. He was tensed the whole time. He only relaxed when Lance’s hand held his back, the tension easing as Lance started to calm down. After another minute, he picked up a fry and nibbled on it, looking lost in his own thoughts.  

Silently, Keith began to show Lance one of his favorite things to eat.  He snatched a fry from Lance’s pile, earning a confused look from Lance.  Keith swallowed nervously before dipping the fry into the shake, making sure to get a good amount of it before carefully handing it to Lance.  Lance… looked reluctant to eat it, scrutinizing the fry as if Keith had dipped it into green goo rather than a shake. But he took it, popped it into his mouth before his eyes widened.  They continued to eat quietly, Lance enjoying the newfound discovery. 

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Lance whispered, Keith almost missing it when something clattered in the kitchen.  He mulled it over in his head, chewing on his fry longer than needed before figuring out an answer.

“Because I think that’s what friends are supposed to do.” He finally said.  He looked over, watching the surprise from Lance’s face melt into a familiar bright smile.  Lance didn’t say anything after that, only giggling to himself for a moment. Keith felt his chest swell, feeling almost proud that he was able to get Lance smiling again.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Lance suddenly plopped into the seat across from him, face flushed as he tried to catch his breath.  Keith only laughed and ordered their usual as Lance began dumping the contents of his backpack out. He started whining about how he just wanted to graduate already, pouting as he stared at his notebooks.  But when their shakes and fries came, a smile spread on his face, and Keith thought for a moment, they were back in middle school.

That day in middle school, Keith was pretty sure, was when he started falling for Lance.  

* * *

If Keith were to be honest, which he usually was, he hadn’t really given his future much thought.  He was currently sitting on his couch, staring down at the unopened letter in his hand that held an answer he already knew.  

There was a few different reasons as to why he hadn’t, but one of the main ones was because he had been sure he would have died before he ever reached this point.  He had been thrown around the foster care system for a while before he ended up with a semi decent family. Then, after a particular stressful situation, he ran away, figuring that he would be better off living in the streets than being thrown from family to family that would never understand who he was.  But it was dangerous being out in the open, and he had been close to dying too many times. So he always thought he wouldn’t survive long enough to even see the end of middle school. He supposed that belief stopped when Shiro and his guardians took him in right around the beginning of his second year in middle school, raising him, protecting him.  He finally had a place to call home. And after two years, with the help of Shiro and Lance, he also made friends. He liked it that way. 

It was stupid of him to think that it would stay that simple. 

When his group of friends, people he began to consider to be his family, started talking about college plans, Keith had been at a lost.  It felt like he had just gotten to a point in his life where he was content, only for the universe to throw him right back into the pit of unhappiness.  And yeah it seemed like he was being dramatic, but he was sick of people walking in and out of his life. There was talk of moving, about different choices that they were going to make, about being excited for the next part of their life and all Keith could do was shrug off the questions that were thrown his way.  At first, he didn’t even know if he  _ wanted  _ to attend college, and Shiro had told him that it was fine if he didn’t, college wasn’t something everyone wanted to do and that it was okay.  

The problem was, the more his friends talked about it, the more he wanted to, and the more nervous he got about it.  It didn’t help that Shiro and Allura had been encouraging them all to choose the school they thought was right, not matter how close or how far away they were.  They shared their experience, sharing just how much they enjoyed their school and had told them that they might also enjoy the ones they ended up going to. Keith wish they hadn’t.  

In the end though, he applied to one school.  He heard that his friends had all applied for several schools, but he only picked one.  If he was going to have anything to hold onto after his friends all left, it would be the memories in the area.  He applied for Altea University. Financially speaking, it was a smartest decision, and he was already familiar with the campus and the city around it.  Shiro and Allura was already attending the school, and he and Shiro lived relatively close so he wouldn’t have to pay for an apartment either. It also helped that he could still go to the Baku Diner.  

Now here he was, staring down at the formal letter of acceptance that was still folded in the sealed letter.  He had already gotten the acceptance letter via email, so he already knew that he was accepted, but just today he got the actual letter.  Keith thought it was weird they would send both out, but he figured that some people liked the physical copy so he didn’t think much about it.  He sighed and let the letter fall onto his lap. If he had gotten his letter, that meant the others probably were getting theirs, and it became more of a painful reminder rather than a gateway to the next part of his life.

A loud buzzing startled him out of his thoughts, causing more anxiety to pool into his stomach.  He pulled his phone out, reading the caller ID before answering. He didn’t have any time to say a greeting.

“I can’t do it.” Was the first thing that came out of Lance’s mouth, causing Keith to frown.  Lance’s voice was shaky, and he sounded on the brink of hyperventilating. He could hear children screaming in the background, causing Keith to relax slightly.  Lance was at home, but he was also panicking over something. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked, getting up from his spot.  

“Keith, my letter it-  _ fuck _ -it came in and I-” Lance sounded near tears, pausing as if to hold it in.  

“Lance, take a second and breathe.” He instructed, moving around the apartment.  His eyes scanned the kitchen counter, almost huffing in relief when he spotted his keys.  He heard Lance take a deep breath.

“Keith…” 

“Meet me outside in ten minutes.” He all but commanded before hanging up, rushing out the door of his apartment.  

…

He made it to Lance’s house in exactly ten minutes, pulling his bike to a stop in his driveway.  Lance was sitting on the steps of his porch, tears rolling down his cheeks as his knees bounced. He had a hand in his hair, gripping the curls, his other still holding onto the letter.  He quickly walked over, sitting next to Lance and gently pulling his hand away. 

“I’m scared…  What if I didn’t get in?” Lance whimpered, letting his hand be pulled away.  

“You got in some of your other schools.  So, even if you didn’t get in this one, you still have opportunities at the others.” He reminded.  

“I don’t want to go to those schools.  I only applied because my Mom told me too.  I want to get into  _ this _ one.” He all but sobbed.  It made sense now, why Lance was particularly anxious over this letter.  He didn’t know what school it was, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was it was the one Lance wanted.

“Realistically speaking, if the other schools accepted you, there shouldn’t be any reason this one didn’t.” He offered.  

“Yeah but what if it didn’t?” 

“There’s only one way to find out Lance.” 

Lance seemed to debate it over his head before lifting the letter, staring at it as if he would get his answer if he stared long enough.  He started chewing on his lips, the tears welling up again before he let his arm drop with a huff.

“You open it.” He shoved the letter into his hand before Keith could say ‘no’.  He paused before pulling his own letter out from his jacket and holding it out to Lance.

“Only if you open mine.” He said, and even though he knew the answer, it would probably put his anxiety at ease now that Lance knew that he had also applied somewhere.  He hadn’t meant to keep it a secret, and he even felt a bit guilty when he saw Lance’s eyes widen. He thought that maybe Lance would refuse, but after another beat, he took it.

“Okay.”

“Okay.” Keith echoed back.  Silently, it seemed like they both had counted to three, both of them tearing into the letter at the same time.  

Keith was pretty sure his heart stopped.  

“Congratulations Lance McClain.  You are receiving this letter to let you know that you have been accepted to Altea University…” Keith trailed off.  He swallowed once before looking over to Lance. Lance read his letter before looking at him. They stared at one another before Lance finally spoke again.

“We’re all going to Altea…  All of us, you and me... Hunk, Pidge-we’re all going to Altea University!” He cried, a grin spreading across his face.  Keith stared more, the information hitting him hard. But in a good way. 

He didn’t know when it happened, but he had ended up with an armful of Lance as they both started laughing.  They probably looked like maniacs to anyone who passed by, but they didn’t care. They were both happy. Keith was happy.  They were all staying together. He grinned as he listened to Lance laugh and cheer. Lance who was his best friend. Lance who was going to the same university as he was.

Lance who he was helplessly in love with.

* * *

A few weeks after graduation was when Keith felt something off. 

He was at the diner with his friends, all of them piled into their usual booth seat as they excitedly talked about their room assignments, thinking about their schedules, and already counting down the days till they began at Altea.  Everything seemed fine, at least it appeared to be. But Keith could feel that something was different as his friends talked. He looked at each of them for a moment, observing them to see if maybe they were acting off, or something was different about their appearance that Keith had missed.  Pidge was sharing details about an upcoming trip with their family, clearly excited. Allura was asking about some of the things they were going to be doing, Hunk explaining a few of the activities that she didn’t understand. Shiro had piped up every now and then to provide examples, pulling up pictures on his phone.  Everyone seemed to be fine… Then he looked to Lance.

Lance was being relatively quiet, listening to their friends ramble on.  He was leaning heavily against the window, occasionally pushing against it more when Hunk brushed against him ever so slightly.  He threw in a comment here and then, but they were short. He didn’t make jokes, didn’t laugh as much and smiled as if it was the most uncomfortable thing to do.  But everyone didn’t seem to notice, far too deep into their conversation to notice Lance’s acting. And that was what it was, acting. He was acting as if nothing was wrong, putting just enough effort to pass as he was tired.  Keith frowned, keeping an eye on Lance as they continued through their lunch, raising a brow when Hunk occasionally turned to Lance to whisper something. The concern that briefly showed on Hunk’s face was all he needed to confirm that there was something was bothering him.

When lunch was over, Keith was ready to wait till everyone decided to go their separate ways, wanting to get Lance alone.  He didn’t have to wait long though. 

“As much as I’d love to stay, I gotta get going.  I promised my Mom I’d help her with something.” Lance said suddenly, cutting into the conversation with a grimace.  

“What are you helping her with?” Pidge asked out of curiosity, slipping out of her spot to let Hunk and Lance out.  

“Just some small stuff.” Lance answered, tensing when Hunk gently took his hand to help him out of the booth.  Keith frowned again, biting the inside of his cheek as he watched Lance’s discomfort.

“Would you like some help?  A few sets of hands are better than just one.” Allura offered, putting a hand on his shoulder.  Again he tensed and Keith had to hold himself back from snapping at their friends.

“I’m helping him.” Keith growled, standing up and swiping his phone from the table.  Lance looked ready to deny it, but Keith shot him a look, feeling slightly guilty when Lance snapped his mouth shut. 

“Well if you two need help, give us a call.” Shiro offered, giving a look that Keith ignored.  He grunted in response, already making his way out of the diner. He heard Lance stutter out a thanks before following.  

He lead them out to the parking lot, slowing his steps until he was walking besides Lance, glancing at him on occasion.  Lance was hugging himself as they walked, keeping his head down as he worried his lip. He could see Lance’s act crumble at his feet, tears welling in his eyes as he desperately tried not to cry.  Keith sighed and stopped in front of his bike, holding out a helmet for Lance. 

“Let’s get you out of here.” It was more an offer than anything else, Keith testing the waters to see if Lance would be okay to go with him or if he just wanted to be left alone.  After a moment, Lance nodded, taking the helmet. 

…

Keith didn’t take Lance home, figuring that what he said earlier was just an excuse.  Instead he drove for almost an hour to take Lance to the nearest beach, figuring the familiar scenery would help Lance with whatever was bothering him.  

It was still early, but he had taken Lance to a more secluded part of the beach, figuring he’d like to avoid as many people as possible.  He patted at the arms that were wrapped comfortably around him as he cut the engine, figuring Lance had probably dozed off when he didn’t move.  He leaned back when Lance got off, taking the helmet from him to lock it in its place. He did the same to his own helmet next, taking a deep breath and humming at the smell of the beach as he got off his bike.  He felt Lance’s hand wrap around his own, pulling him along until they were just a few feet from the water, sitting with only the sound of the waves surrounding them. 

“My family…  there’s some drama going on and it’s stressing me out and I really don’t want to talk about it.” Lance sighed, glaring at the ocean as if it was the reason his family was stressing him out.  

“Then don’t.” Keith said, and to him it was just that simple.  Lance looked at him for a moment, opening and closing his mouth a few times as if he was really debating on what to say.  Keith waited patiently. 

“...Thank you.” Lance said in the end, sighing heavily.  

He nodded in response, offering what he hoped was a comforting smile.  Lance responded with a small laugh, smiling as the sound melted away. He turned back to the ocean, eyes locked onto the waves that crashed against the sand.  His smile stayed, and he couldn’t help but laugh when he watched a few crabs running along the shore. Keith couldn’t help but continue to watch Lance, admiring the stars that were beside him.  They were somehow shining brighter than the one that hung high in the sky, scattered across Lance’s cheeks. He reached over and brushed a curl back, willing himself not to linger when he accidentally brushed some of the stars.

“What?” Lance asked, looking back.  

“Your freckles.  They’re lighter now.” He noticed Lance squirm a bit, a blush going all the way up to his ears.  Keith laughed. 

“Shut up!”

“They look good.” 

Keith watched as Lance sputtered, but he knew that it was because he was embarrassed.  He knew it was because he was self-conscious about them and not because it was Keith complimenting him.  He knew that he would just roll his eyes and ignore the comment. He knew that his jabs at his mullet were because he was back to his usual self.  He knew that he was feeling better now that he was back to his usual self. 

Keith knew a lot about Lance.  

But everyone has their secrets.

* * *

  



	2. Before The Day You Left

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long wait I had gone through a low, and then my internet went out for like two weeks, and then I had returned back to the states and all in all, everything has just been insane. But I'm back, and hopefully it will be smooth sailing from here. 
> 
> Again, I'm sorry! And enjoy!

Everyone has their secrets.  

Despite that, Lance knew a lot about Keith.  

He knew Keith didn’t like parties.  He knew that he didn’t like the crowds because it made him feel overwhelmed.  He knew he struggled with social interactions and that social events stressed him out.  He knew that it made him miserable. He knew it made him anxious. So when Keith said he was going to think about going to the First-Year Orientation party, Lance knew that he wasn’t going to go.  He knew that he would stay home. He knew he would watch a documentary or a t.v. series. He knew he would feel guilty, feeling as if he had disappointed his friends. 

Lance decided to change his plans that evening.  

…

“What did you forget?” He heard Keith say as he pushed the door to his and Shiro’s apartment. 

“I forgot how annoying your stupid door is.” Lance grumbled, trying to balance everything in one hand as he fought to get his key from the door.

“Lance?” He couldn’t help but snicker at how surprised Keith sounded, hearing him get up from the couch.  

He looked over to throw a snarky remark, but it caught in his throat.  He felt his chest swell for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek as he practically froze.  Keith had pulled his hair back, tying it up in a small ponytail while his bangs hung over his eyes.  He was wearing a tight dark red shirt, Lance’s gaze lingering on the muscles the material stretched over.  His jeans were the usual, well fitted, black with the faded look to it, and he wore his usual black and red boots.  It was an outfit Lance had seen countless times. It wasn’t new, it wasn’t fancy, but to Lance, Keith was just so frustratingly handsome.  He only wished he had the guts to tell him as much, but instead he just stood there, staring while his key was stuck inside the stupid door. 

“What are you doing here?  I thought you were going to the party?” Keith asked, an amused look falling on his face when Lance continued to fight to get his key out.

“I’m currently debating on breaking your door or not.  You going to just stand there, or are you going to help me?” He whined, pouting when Keith only chuckled.  He took it as a sign that he was on his own, biting his lip as he jiggled the key more. 

“Here.” Keith mumbled.  He nearly dropped all of his stuff as Keith walked up, standing so close that Lance could smell the oil and gas that clung to him, indicating that he had been working on his bike earlier.  He swallowed and hoped that his face wasn’t as red as it felt. Keith struggled for a moment before finally pulling it out and handing back the keys to Lance. 

“Thank you.” He grumbled, stuffing them into his pocket before closing the door with his hip.  

“So…  You’re not going to the party?” Keith asked, still confused.  

“Nope.” He answered.  He walked past Keith then, deciding that he had been on his legs long enough.  He plopped himself onto the couch, looking at the laptop that was connected to the T.V..

“But you love parties?” It was more of a statement then a question.

“And you hate them.  Please, tell me something I don’t know.” He teased, watching Keith cross his arms.  He stood at the other end of the couch, looking as if he was trying to figure out a conspiracy theory that somehow revolved around parties.  It was cute. 

“Then why are you here?  Not that I mind or anything!  I just…” He trailed off, looking flustered about his sudden outburst.  

“We’re suppose to be celebrating our first day in Uni.  I can’t do that if my best friend is at home, watching documentaries without me.  Which is why I brought dinner~!” He sang excitedly, wiggling the box in his hands a bit.  

“You didn’t have to come and celebrate it with me.” 

“And you didn’t have to take me to Prom.  Now shut up and let me be a good best friend!  I even went as far as to walk to the nearest pizzeria to buy your favorite pizza” Lance snapped, but playfully.  At the mention of Prom, he couldn’t stop the warmth that surrounded him, remembering the way Keith had awkwardly danced with him, the crowd making them stand close to each other.

“Buffalo Chicken?” Keith asked after a moment of eyeing him and then the box.  The way his eyes lit up made the 30 minute walk so worth it. 

“With extra hot sauce.” He confirmed, popping the box open before placing it on the table.  Keith smiled, looking soft and just… Lance fought the urge to kiss him. 

In all honesty, Lance just didn’t want Keith to be alone today.  If the other decided that he would rather work on his bike than watch movies, than Lance would be content with just sitting there and watching him.  He wanted to prove the point that they were still going to be best friends and attending Uni wasn’t going to change that. He would be lying if he said that he didn’t want things to change between them, but he was also content where they were.  He had too many reasons as to why they wouldn’t be anything more than friends, the top being that Keith didn’t even like him. But he was okay with that. He was okay with just being friends if only to keep Keith in his life. 

Keith grabbed his laptop, pulling up their favorite T.V. series before stepping out for a minute.  As the intro to The Office began, he felt a blanket being draped over his shoulders, Keith throwing him a knowing smile as he sat next to him.  Lance ignored the fact that there was plenty of space on the couch, bumping his knee against Keith’s before grabbing a slice of pizza.

He added this night to the list of nights that he would always remember.  

* * *

 

“My, you are quite lovely.” Lance heard, distracting him from his mock midterm, half of the semester already over.  He looked up to see a man with long white hair standing beside his table, a polite smile on his face. Lance felt heat rise up his neck and to his cheeks, looking around him to make sure the man was actually talking to him and not some other person who had magically appeared.

“I-I’m sorry?” He choked out like an idiot, raising a brow.  

“I said you look rather lovely.” He repeated, leaning against the table a bit and Lance couldn’t help but shy back, smiling nervously.  

“Ah…  Thank you.” He said politely.  He didn’t know what it was about the man, but he was feeling uneasy.  It could be the way he was looking at him, eyeing him as if he was a prey, ready for the picking, or it could be the way he was leaning into Lance’s personal space when he clearly wasn’t for it.  

“My name is Lotor.  Does someone as lovely as you have a name?” He hummed, holding a hand out.  Lance hesitated for a moment before taking hold of it.

“Lance.” He shook his hand, tensing when Lotor pulled it towards his lips.  He shivered when he felt the lips linger on his knuckles far longer than he would have liked, laughter bubbling from his chest in a nervous manner.  

“Very nice to meet you Lance.  I see that you’re here alone… Would you like some company?” Lotor all but purred as he looked at the empty seat across from him.  Lance gently pulled his hand away, gripping his jeans.

“I…  Uh… no, no thank you.  I don’t want to pull you from your friends.” He laughed, spotting the three women that were watching them, almost as intensely as Lotor was looking at him.  

“Oh I’m sure they will be alright.  I wouldn’t mind sitting with you.” He kept pushing, and Lance was ready to decline again when someone else came up.  

“He said no.” Keith growled, dropping his bag into the empty seat.  If looks could kill, he was pretty sure Lotor would have died as Keith glared at him.  Lotor seemed to glare back, and Lance thought for a moment that they were going to fight.  

“Forgive me Lance.  I wasn’t aware that I would be intruding.  Perhaps we can have lunch together another time?” Lotor said, his glare dropping when he looked back to him, the same look from before returning.  

“Uh…  Yeah… Yeah.” Lance muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as he forced a polite smile.  

“I hope you see you around.” He purred before walking away.  

A rush of relief washed over Lance, sinking back into the booth seat as if it would suddenly open up and swallow him.  Keith was still standing, glaring in what Lance assumed was Lotor’s direction, his fists clenched at his sides. He smiled a bit and slowly reached over, touching his arm.  Keith flinched and looked back at him, eyes studying him for a moment before he seemed to relax. He let his fists loosen, lowering himself into the seat and Lance kept his hand on his arm, smiling a bit more when Keith placed his hand over it.

“You okay?” Lance asked, flipping his hand and holding Keith’s.

“I think I should be asking you that.” Keith snorted, his hold tightening on Lance.  “Sorry I’m late.”

“You made it just in time my knight in shining armor.  Any second longer, and I think I would have filed a complaint at the round table.” He joked, smiling when Keith chuckled. 

“Are you okay?” Keith asked, his thumb running over his knuckles.  

“Yeah.  He just…  made me uncomfortable.  I didn’t want to cause a scene either, so I’m glad you came when you did.” Lance admitted, glancing to where Lotor had just been standing.  

“I’m sure you would have been able to handle it if he pushed too far.” Keith offered, a smirk on his lips.  

“Yeah, probably.” He snorted.  He stared at their hands, enjoying the roughness of Keith’s hand against his own smooth ones.  They stayed like that for a moment, reveling in the protective warmth Keith gave off. They only separated when the waitress, Florana, came over to take their order, greeting them with the usual warmth in her voice.  As Keith gave their usual orders to Florana, Lance couldn’t help but smile down at his notebook. 

It was like this back then, when they were younger… Lance was being bullied, always by the same three kids that seemed to enjoy picking on him.  They bullied him because to them, he spoke funny. He was bilingual, Spanish being his first language. He started learning English in elementary school, but he was still struggling with pronouncing certain words, the sounds differing between the two languages.  His teachers were nice enough to help him whenever he struggled, Lance more than excited to answer any question he knew, but it had gained him some unwanted attention. Normally he would have Hunk or Pidge with him, but they weren’t always able to walk with him home, having their own activities to attend to after school.  So he was caught often halfway home, surrounded by their onslaught of teasing, shoving him around like he was some toy to play with. Initially, when this all first started, he tried to get away, tried to scream at them, and even tried fighting back, but there was three of them, and there was only so much he could do being the shortest one there.  It would also prolong their session, Lance finding that they  _ wanted _ him to speak.

“You going to cry again?  You going to cry like a baby?” One of them taunted, mocking a baby’s cry while pulling his hair before shoving him.

“Aww.  Got nothing to say right now?  Come on! Say something!” Another yelled, shoving him away.

“You talk so much during school and now you want to be quiet?  What’s wrong Lance? Cat got your tongue?” The last one spat. He covered his face with his arms, feeling them try to grab at his chin.  He felt their hands try to pry his arms away, biting his lip harshly as he tried to back up. They let go and he fell on his butt, his back hitting another pair of legs.  He closed his eyes, waiting for one of them to kick him.

“Leave him alone!” Was what he heard instead.  He looked up, eyes widening as they fell on Keith who was pulling his backpack off.  

“Or what orphan?” One of them sneered.  Lance’s anger flared and he shot up, balling his fist and connecting it to their face. 

“Don’t call him that!” He snapped.  

Next thing he knew, Keith was wrestling the other kid to the ground, stopping him from hitting Lance.  The third kid ran off, and just like that, they both fought the bullies off, together. Keith watched Lance’s back, Lance watched Keith’s.  It had been like that ever since.  Anytime Lance seemed to be in trouble, Keith had always seem to show up. He was protective, willing to throw himself into the mess to help Lance get through whatever issue there was, together.  And it was the same vice versa. They were a team. A good team. 

That day…  Lance was pretty sure was when he had first fell for Keith.  

* * *

 

Lance thought a lot about the past.  He couldn’t help it, especially since it’s what shaped him into the person he was.  He liked to linger in memories, liked to think back to the days long ago and especially liked sharing stories from when he was younger.  His favorite stories to share were always the ones he had heard from his grandfather before they moved, the one about two goddesses that always longed for one another, one living in the deepest parts of the ocean while the other lived in the light of the moon.  It was a story that he would always remember.

So he had decided that he would capture his memories any way he could.  At first he thought about drawing them, taking a few art classes to learn, but he could never capture the actual emotion of the memory like he wanted to.  He thought about actually writing them down, but he could never find the words that could describe the image in his head. He then stumbled on photography during his second year of high school.  At first, he wasn’t sure what to take pictures off, usually taking random pictures whenever he was bored. But the pictures would always feel empty, and Lance almost gave up on the camera, ready to look for another medium.  But then he decided to take a picture of his friends, one that they weren’t even aware of. 

They were just hanging out like any other day, sitting in the Baku Diner as they waited for lunch.  Lance snuck his phone out, silently trying to take a photo of Pidge who was eating a lemon after seeing Hunk do it.  Their face scrunched up from the sourness and Lance it would be a funny picture to share later. He had accidentally took a burst shot, capturing the exact moment everyone smiled and laughed.  Lance could feel the warmness, could see it, and ever since then, he had been known to randomly have a camera in his hands. It took a while to save up for, but he had gotten a more professional camera, and decided that he wanted to be a photographer while being a Marine Biologist.  

The Visual/Performance Art program was rather nice too, giving several opportunities for the artists to make connections with the work force.  They held several shows for the variety of artists, inviting other schools, professional businesses and even alumni to come and support them. He found out about it during his first semester, a sophomore named Adam explaining it to him during their second week of classes.  So when the new semester approached, he didn’t hesitate to look for shows to apply for when Adam asked if he wanted to join him. 

He brought the idea up to Keith, who was also in the VPA program but as a General Arts major.  Keith seemed hesitant about it at first, unsure if he wanted to do it. Lance didn’t push on it much though, not wanting to pressure Keith into something he didn’t want to do.  But in the end, Keith had decided it would be a good opportunity and ended up applying to the same show Lance had. And so… they waited. 

When the email came in during their third week into the second semester, he could barely hold in his excitement.  He didn’t check it right away, getting ready to text both Adam and Keith when a phone call interrupted him mid-text. 

“Hello?” Lance asked curiously, having a feeling he already knew who it was. 

“I’m coming over.” He heard and he blinked a few times.  

“My door will be unlocked.” He stated and the phone call ended then.  

He smiled a bit and got up, rummaging through his stuff before pulling out a few things.  He stepped out of his room, making sure his door didn’t close all the way before going to the shared community room.  He filled the mug with water before sticking it into the microwave, humming to himself as he waited for the water to heat up.  He heard the elevator bell right before the microwave finished, glancing over in time to see the doors close. He hummed again, sticking a tea bag into the water, letting it soak in for a few minutes before dumping a decent amount of honey, stirring the tea before tossing his garbage out. Carefully, he returned to the room, blowing the steam out of his face

“Anxious?” He asked, as he walked in, Keith sitting on his bed, knee bouncing.  

“A little.” He admitted, something Lance knew wasn’t easy for him to do.  He sat beside him, gently nudging his leg with his own to get him to stop bouncing it.  He didn’t really want to burn his hands... He handed the cup of tea to Keith, watching him take a deep breath before taking a few sips, his shoulders lowering a bit.  

“I know it’s stupid-”

“It’s not stupid.  You have every right to feel anxious about this.” Lance snapped, fixing him with a glare.  Keith looked at him for a moment, running his fingers over the smooth surface of the mug. 

“Okay…  I’m just…  I really want my art pieces to be accepted.  I want them to be seen in an actual art show, and not just piling up in my apartment.” He sighed.  

“Not that you haven’t heard me say it before, but your art?  It’s amazing. To the point where you were paid to do several murals at our high school and for the diner.  I have no doubt that you got into the show, and if I’m wrong, you can totally fight me. But we won’t know if we’re going to have a battle royale if you don’t look at the email.” He pointed out.  Keith snorted, rolling his eyes before he nodded. 

“Okay.” 

“Okay…  Want to do this like we did our acceptance letters?” He asked, watching Keith debate it over his head before he nodded.  He sat the mug down on the desk before pulling his phone out and handing it to him. Lance handed him his and they both looked down at the black screens.  

“One…”

“Two…”

“Three.” They said in unison before unlocking their phones, opening the emails that were waiting for them.  

“Oh…” Lance mumbled, biting his lip to stop from smiling.  

“What?  What do you mean ‘Oh…’  Lance…” He warned, making Lance think about Shiro.  

“I’m disappointed…  We’re not going to have our battle royale…” Lance pouted.  Keith stared at him blankly before snatching his phone away.  

“I’m going home.” He grumbled, making a move to leave.  Lance couldn’t stop the grin that spread on his face, scrambling after him.  Keith still had his phone.

“No!  You still haven’t told me my results!  Keith!” He whined, following him out of his dorm room, the door locking automatically behind him.  

“You didn’t get in.” He called over his shoulder, pocketing both phones and Lance knew for a fact that he got in.  He jumped onto Keith’s back, trusting that Keith wouldn’t fall flat on his face. 

“Liar!  Give me my phone back!” Keith’s arms hooked around his legs and he continued his way to the elevator, using Lance’s toe to press the down button.  

“It’s my phone now.” He could hear the smirk on his face and he smiled, wrapping is arms around him.  

“Baku Diner?” He asked, knowing full well they were about to go celebrate with milkshakes and french fries.  

“You’re paying.”  

“As long as you’re carrying me there.” 

They both laughed, Keith fulfilling his request and carrying him all the way to the diner even thought he was kidding about that part.  Lance knew people were watching them, but he didn’t care. They were both having a good time.  They were both in their own little world. He listened to Keith as he threw ideas for his art assignments, smiling at the excitement in his voice.  Keith who was gaining confidence in his art. Keith who was ready for their art show. 

Keith who he was hopelessly in love with.  

* * *

 

“Ugh…  Okay, there should only be one or two more boxes now.” Lance panted, leaning against the box he had just placed on top of another, larger box.  He stepped back and took a look at his stuff, making sure they were neatly piled up against the side. 

“Somehow, I thought you would have more stuff.” Adam mused, placing his own box down on the other side.  They had decided on splitting a storage unit, both of them flying home for the summer. It saved both of them money, and they had become relatively close through the year, Adam essentially taking him under his wing.  Initially he was going to leave it at Keith and Shiro’s, but Keith’s art was taking up more space. That and they were both leaving for the summer, unsure if they would be back before or after Lance. 

“Somehow I thought you would have less stuff.” Lance responded, snickering when Adam shrugged, adjusting some of his art pieces.

“Here’s the last two.” Shiro piped up as he walked in, easily carrying one of the larger boxes Lance had struggled with.  Keith followed behind him, carrying an equally as large box. As Lance watched them put the boxes down where Adam instructed, he felt as if his soul was slowly drifting out of him, particularly staring at Keith.  He added ‘Keith in a tank top’onto the list of things that were probably unhealthy for him. He cleared his throat a bit, looking to Adam to say something when he caught the other student staring, following his gaze to Shiro.  He walked over, smiling much like a cartoon cat about to do something evil, and nudged Adam, earning a look of embarrassment and a scowl. Lance snickered. 

“Thanks guys.  You guys are life savers.” Lance huffed, looking at all the stuff and shuddering at the thought of having to move everything with just Adam.  Not only would it have taken longer, but it almost seemed impossible considering neither of them had a car. Luckily, Shiro was more than ready to help them, even going as far as offering them.  Lance felt like he knew why as he glanced to Keith, seeing him move some of his camera equipment to where he thought they would be safer. Although, there was probably another reason Shiro was enthusiastic about helping.

“I am pretty sweet.” Shiro said after a beat, and immediately Lance and Keith groaned.  To his utter horror, Adam snorted, quickly covering his mouth to hide the smile he was failing to hold back.  

“Sweet and funny.” Adam commented, and Shiro sputtered, something Lance had never seen before.  It was one of the funniest and weirdest moments in his life. 

“Funny looking.” Keith snorted and Shiro quickly slapped his arm with an offended gasp.  

“Have fun walking home.” Shiro said, his tone serious as he pulled the car keys out of his pocket.  He twirled it once before promptly walking out of the storage unit. Lance and Adam both laughed. 

“I’ll go make sure he doesn’t actually abandon us.” Keith snorted before also leaving the unit, his pace a bit faster than Shiro’s.  Lance stared after him.

“Is Shiro single?” Adam asked once Keith was out of earshot.

“What?” Lance choked out, more out of surprise than confusion.  

“I’m guessing he is.” He chuckled, rolling his eyes before adjusting his glasses, a faint blush on his cheeks.  

“You can’t be serious…” He mumbled, narrowing his eyes at him for a moment before they widened.  

“100%.” 

Lance stared at Adam for a moment, a few of their past conversations coming to mind as he tried to find something to say.  But he knew that whatever sentence he was going to give, it wouldn’t have mattered. The conversation would be the same, the result would be the same, and he would be left just as confused.  He sighed, running a hand through his hair before deciding to skip the conversation altogether. 

“Come on.  Let’s just go back so I can take a hot shower and contemplate on my life decisions while a cricket becomes my conscious that strangely sounds a lot like you.” He mumbled.  He smiled when the other laughed, leading them back to the car after locking up the unit.

“All set?” Shiro asked, leaning against his car, Keith standing next to him.  His bike was parked a few feet away, Lance noticing the two helmets attached to the side.  He rose a brow, wondering if Keith had someone else with him before he met up with them here. 

“Yup.  Thanks for not actually leaving us here.” Adam laughed.  

“It was mostly towards Keith.” Shiro assured before unlocking the door.  Lance hummed in amusement as he moved to the other side of the car, ready to get in and sit in the cool of the A.C. when a hand grabbed his own, stopping him from pulling the handle. 

“Keith?” He asked softly, looking over to see if the other was okay.  The deep scowl on his face said he was not. 

“Can I talk to you…?  Alone?” He practically whispered, avoiding looking him in the eyes.  Lance frowned a bit and pulled his hand away from the handle, nodding.  

“We’ll meet you guys back at the diner for dinner.” Lance called as he practically pulled Keith to his bike.  He didn’t hear the others replies, didn’t really care. Keith needed him. 

…

Unsurprisingly, Keith and Lance ended up going to the small forest that bordered the back side of the university, stretching across the campus and into town.  They pulled over in one of the student parking lots that faced the forest, squeezing their way through a broken gate before walking in silence. Lance stayed close to Keith, following him on an invisible path that they had walked on countless times before, knowing exactly where to step to avoid slipping or getting caught in the roots.  While the whole forest was still a mystery to Lance, he knew the one spot Keith was taking them too. 

He spotted the small cavern as they climbed over a fallen tree, Keith helping Lance down before they walked to it.  While in most cases, it was rather dangerous to be in the forest, especially one with random caves scattered around, their forest didn’t hold as much animals as many thought it did.  There had been a few sightings here and there, but they were mostly made by drunk students who wondered into the forest as a joke. So they weren’t exactly reliable. 

They sat on a large rock at the mouth of the cave, Keith’s knee bouncing as he glared a hole into the ground.  Lance gently placed a hand on his shoulder, giving a comforting squeeze. He flinched when Keith’s hand shot up, grabbing his own tightly as if Lance would try to run away.  But he didn’t, instead he held onto Keith’s hand just as tightly, his concern growing. 

“I…” Keith trailed off, growling in annoyance.  He clenched and unclenched his fist, his breathing growing faster.

“Take your time.” 

“I don’t have time!” There was a moment of silence, Keith gritting his teeth before he winced, guilt quickly replacing his anger.  Lance frowned and pulled his hand away before enveloping Keith into a tight hug, burying his face into his hair. Keith hesitated a moment before hugging back, Lance shivering when he felt Keith press his face into his neck.  He took a deep breath, then another, and then another, and he kept going until Keith was also taking deep breaths, both of them taking a moment to just breathe. It was a while before Keith spoke up.

“I- I can’t…  I don’t even know how to tell you...” 

He frowned and rubbed random patterns on his back, letting Keith take a moment.  A feeling unease pooled into his stomach, as if there was this shift in the air that could warn Lance.  It felt like something was wedging it’s way between them, forcing them apart even thought they were desperately trying to hold onto one another.  He bit his lip.

“You don’t have to tell me.” He said softly.

“I have to tell you…” Keith pulled back a little, and Lance could feel himself being sucked into the beautiful galaxy that stared back at him.

“Why…?” He whispered before his eyes widened, Keith pressing their foreheads together.

“Because I don’t want to lose you Lance…” 

They stayed liked that for a moment before Lance found his voice again, gently touching his cheeks.

“I’m not going anywhere Keith.”

* * *

 

It was a promise.  One that Lance wasn’t sure how long he had to hold onto, but he was more than willing to keep it forever if he had to.  After he left for the summer, the uneasy feeling in his stomach only grew… Keith never answered his texts or calls. 

Lance came back after his summer away.  

Keith did not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I apologize for the long wait. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. 
> 
> Next chapter is when everything begins, so I hope you guys are ready~!

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This is actually a Prologue to a series, but it's also pretty good by itself. You don't have to read the series, but please do!


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